Tracing Russian Assets — and a Vodka Twist
In an unusual move to collect on the awards, the ex-Yukos shareholders last year auctioned off Benelux trademark rights for 18 Russian vodka brands, including Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya, netting €1.6 million ($1.7 million). The sale marked the first successful enforcement action against Russian state-linked property.
With the Dutch court’s decision now final, the Yukos shareholders’ global enforcement campaign is poised to accelerate—potentially targeting Russian assets frozen under international sanctions.
For Russia, the loss in The Hague is more than financial—it’s a symbolic defeat, a ruling that echoes across courtrooms and capitals, declaring once and for all that even the mightiest of states cannot rewrite the rules of justice.
